Understanding Xanax

Xanax is actually the brand name that contains Alprazolam. Alprazolam is a prescription Sedative in the Benzodiazepines family. Benzodiazepines are generally known as a type of medication known as tranquilizers. The familiar names also include Valium and Xanax. They are some of the most commonly prescribed medications by health care workers to patients in the United States.
When people or users without prescriptions from health care workers obtain and take these drugs mainly for their sedating effects, the medical use then turns into abuse. Benzodiazepines were originally developed with an idea as a replacement for Barbiturates. The drug affects the brain and Central Nervous System (CNS) of the consumer who is taking it. Its main purpose is to boost a brain chemical that is called Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA). It slows down the nerve cell activity in the brain of its user. The result is then a calm and relaxed feeling for its user.

Xanax Addiction and Abuse

Xanax is a very strong Benzodiazepine and doctors and other health care workers recommend it often. Basically to treat Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), panic disorders, and insomnia found in different patients. Using as a long-term medicine this drug is extremely addictive for its consumers. Its addiction and abuse are serious concerns in the medical community. This drug is one of the most prescribed psychiatric medications in the United States of America. According to research conducted, 70% of teens with addiction get the drug from their family’s medicine cabinet. This then causes many harmful effects on their lives.

Tolerance and Withdrawal Symptoms

The tolerance to Xanax develops much quickly as compared to other drugs of the same category, which requires the user or the consumer to take more of the drug to achieve the desired effects required. An individual with addiction may take up to twenty or thirty pills per day. If the user or the consumer decides one day to stop consuming it, they might start experiencing withdrawal effects that include restlessness, anxiety, insomnia, and tremors too. The follow-up of withdrawal symptoms is a sign of a physical dependence that has developed in the individual that is consuming it a lot more than a normal intake per day. The development of tolerance and withdrawal symptoms are indications of addiction in an individual.
Once a Xanax addiction has taken hold of an individual taking or consuming it. It then affects the daily responsibilities of the user. Teen school, adult jobs, and family care are all ignored as a result. As a result, drug-seeking behavior consumes the majority of an individual’s energy.

Behavioral Signs

Addiction to this drug can cause many other behavioral signs. That may have adverse effects on an individual’s quality of life. These behavioral signs include:

• Many personal difficulties continue due to the extensive use of this drug
• Inability to stop using it despite the desire of the user consuming it.
• Loss of interest in most of the activities that were once enjoyed.
• Obsession of containing and consuming this drug rises.
• Consumption of this substance and loss of control over the amount taken on a regular basis.
• Under the influence of this substance, the person who consumes it exhibits an increase in risk-taking behaviors, which may involve driving.

Quitting Xanax

If an individual who has a history of abusing Xanax wishes to stop taking it after dependency on the drug has formed. Then, in general, health care specialists and doctors do not advise quitting abruptly or without medical supervision. The withdrawal symptoms of this drug are generally very alike or close to those of alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and the severity of these withdrawal symptoms can vary according to an individual’s medical history. If convulsions start to occur then withdrawal symptoms from it can be extremely deadly to a person.

Generally, the withdrawal method advocated by health care professionals or doctors entails gradually and systematically lowering the Xanax dosage. Eventually switching the user consuming this drug to a long-acting form of the drug for a period of time. The gradual taper and decline in the usage of this drug then help to basically reduce withdrawal symptoms that were once found in its consumer using it. This then resultingly helps the consumer to attain a better life.